Niesh finds its niche

28 Mar 2017

A dedication to helping students succeed has netted educational
support service business Niesh a makeover.

Founded by three university students in 2015, Niesh aims to make
life easier for students by offering a free printing service, an app
that promotes exclusive student deals from local businesses, and a
university student dedicated social media platform to share and stay
updated on the latest news on campus.

It also runs a relaxed student lounge close to the University of
Auckland with affordable food and coffee.

The student-run start-up won the MYOB Business Makeover, which
included an upgrade of software systems, training and support for
staff, and a transformation of its student public space.

Niesh was one of many deserving Auckland businesses nominated for
the competition over the last few weeks. MYOB’s New Zealand General
Manager Carolyn Luey says Niesh stood out because of the innovation it
has brought to market and the positive impact it is having on the
student community.

“Since its launch, Niesh has grown rapidly, from a small operation
borrowing the space of a friend’s shop, to a fully-fledged business
occupying its own premises. The business now employs seven full-time
staff and 23 part-time student ambassadors.

“The fact that the founders have achieved this business growth
whilst still studying undergraduate degrees is hugely impressive.

“There are so many small businesses doing fantastic work in their
local community. Ultimately it is the hard work and dedication the
Niesh owners that sets them apart. Niesh has mixed smart ideas and
good use of technology to build a great business,” she says.

Co-founder of Niesh James Koo says he and his team are thrilled with
the makeover.

“We are incredibly excited about where we can take the business. At
Niesh we believe there are three key elements that make for successful
students: being financially stable, achieving academic excellence and
building solid connections. Our vision for the business is to help
students build a foundation in all three areas so they can get the
most out of their university experience” he says.

“The MYOB makeover will not only allow us to utilise the latest
cloud-based accounting software and upgrade our own free printing
software but the improvements to our student lounge has really
enhanced our space for students.”

On Sunday 26 March, after a meeting with the software engineer and
MYOB trainer to go over the digital portion of the makeover, Niesh
employees headed out for an afternoon of team activities included in
the prize. MYOB staff used that time to paint walls, install lighting,
TV screens and decorative items, creating an even more collaborative
and interactive student lounge.

“We are blown away by the work the MYOB team have done and look
forward to continuing to work with them to help our business succeed,”
says Mr Koo.

About MYOB MYOB (ASX:MYO) is a leading cloud based business
management solutions provider. It makes business life easier for
approximately 1.2 million businesses across Australia and New Zealand
by simplifying accounting, payroll, tax, practice management, CRM,
websites, job costing, inventory and more. MYOB provides ongoing
support via many client service channels including a network of over
40,000 accountants, bookkeepers and other consultants. It is committed
to ongoing innovation, particularly in cloud computing solutions, and
in 2015 was awarded the BRW award for the most innovative large
company for 500+ employees and placed 2nd in BRW’s Most Innovative
Companies Award list across all categories nationally. For more
information, visit myob.co.nz or follow @MYOB on Twitter.